An Art & Print Treasure


An Art & Print Treasure

The worlds foremost printing and graphic arts library

Location: Bride Lane, Fleet Street, EC4Y 8EE

Description: 'St Bride Library' was opened in 1895 and boasts a rare edition of Dr Johnson's Dictionary and letters Charles Dickens wrote to his printer.

It was both a technical library and printing school; the school eventually moved out and is now the London College of Communication.

Among its nearly 200 collections are thousands of valentines, greetings cards, menus and posters, more than 1,100 printed ballads from the 19th century and the largest collection of British type specimens in existence.

From the beginning the Library served the printing trade but was also a great collection of typographic literature that incorporated the library of William Blades, master printer and author of a study of William Caxton. Other important collections were added, including those of Talbot Baines Reed, a type founder and historian, and John Southward, a technical print journalist.

These initial purchases gave the Library the basis of an excellent compilation of early printing, as well as unrivalled collections of catalogues, prospectuses and specimens.

Check the web for opening times - http://www.stbride.org/ - but yet another London literary gem!

Tours: Charles Dickens' London

Themes: LiteraryLiterary Theme  Public AmenitiesPublic Amenities Theme
An Art & Print Treasure

The worlds foremost printing and graphic arts library

Ranking This Month: 1499/2900

Pages Hit This Month: 28


Credits: http://www.stbride.org/

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George Bernard Shaw lived here», 1.6km

Pepys's Ghost», 0.8km

Home of poet Robert Browning», 3.3km

Quercus - Publishing Revelation», 0.9km

Author Joseph Conrad lived here», 2.0km

Orwell's Booklovers Corner», 3.8km

Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's House», 2.0km

Clemence Dane lived here», 3.2km

Mary Poppins author lived here», 3.0km

Dr Johnson's Dictionary House», 0.1km

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